Eleuthera's Must-See Trifecta

Governor's Harbour to Goulding Cay |  4 Hours  |  23.8 Miles  

We raised anchor this morning and departed Governor's Harbour following a great stay. The weather cooperated and enabled us to stop at the northern end of Eleuthera and visit three must-see tourist destinations. It was a straight shot up Exuma Sound until we ducked in behind Mutton Fish Point for protection from southerly wind and surge. We quickly lowered the dinghy and headed to shore, passing several large rock outcroppings. An elaborate lawn and landscaping have tamed and softened one of the peninsulas.    

It was a beautiful day with flat water. The forecast called for stray squalls, but for the moment, the clouds were white and benign. We first explored the Glass Window Bridge by dinghy. This man-made bridge took the place of what was once an impressive rock arch, destroyed by a raging hurricane. The concrete replacement bridge has been battered by turbulent storms as well. Glass Window is a prime spot for viewing the striking contrast of the deep-blue Atlantic Ocean to the east and the gentle turquoise waters of Exuma Sound on the west. Although we approached the bridge at high tide, there was no visible wave action. We backtracked and landed the dinghy on Goulding Cay Beach. A short trail led up to the road. 

We walked north along the busy and narrow road. On the way to the bridge, we passed two large rock to the east. Known as The Cow and The Bull, these massive boulders are a testament to the power of the sea that lifted them atop the ridge. We reached the bridge, crossed over the span, and looked back upon the dark water and waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashing into the rock. In stark contrast, the turquoise water of the Sound was placid. It is difficult to capture the scene from land so I stole a photo from the internet to show the contrast when viewed from above. 

When the Atlantic surge is raging, the bridge is closed to all traffic. Again, I turn to a Youtube video to give you a sense of the power of nature pounding the Glass Window Bridge. A sign stands roadside ready for deployment. It is no coincidence that we have never seen the poor conditions. That is the exact weather we try to avoid. We returned to our starting point to visit our most anticipated stop of the afternoon. To reach this special place, we had cross a large expanse of rugged eroded rock and descend from the hilltop road to sea level. The Queen's Bath or Hot Tubs are located on the ocean side of the island. Natural pools have been carved by centuries of waves pounding the rocks. The overwash of crashing wave action fills the pools with water, shells, and small sea life. Once settled, the clear water is warmed by the sun, creating bath-like temperature tidal pools that are perfect for soaking. For a few minutes, we had the entire spot to ourselves. Barry contemplated taking a dip in the pool.

He did decide to jump in and a fellow cruiser snapped the photo while we were floating in the large shallow pool. I moved to the deeper pool and was not alone. A multitude of sea urchins clung to the submerged rocks. Large crabs scampered across the rocks.

Smaller hermit crabs were clinging to an underwater ledge. Barry found a good spot to wait for me as I took more pictures of the waves filling the tidal pools.

We air-dried as we climbed back up the rock face without any blood loss. A well-placed sign offered some congratulations. We returned to the beach to find our dinghy high and dry. Oops. We were gone longer than anticipated and the tide had fallen significantly. Luckily the two of us can drag it back into the water without too much effort. We headed back to Crossroads, but took in a few sights along the way. This lone rock, which I refer to as Alligator Rock, brings back some good memories of a previous visit to this are. At low tide it mushrooms out of the water. I had a much better picture than this as the desktop pattern on my work computer for several years.

To the north, a lot of rain was falling. To the south, the sun was still shining. We scooted over to take a closer look at the cute little beach that was off our bow. Multiple rows of palm trees provide a lush backdrop for the small stretch of sand. 

The rain caught up with us and we received a fresh water rinse before returning onboard. By the time we had cleaned up and showered, the sun had returned. I went to the flybridge to enjoy the view and read a few more chapters. As the sun signed off, the evening wind was light with only a small swell. I'm hoping the gentle rocking will induce a good night's sleep. We move again tomorrow as the weather begins to change for the worse.